Going green with sun, grease and turbines

Tuesday

Feb 26, 2008 at 12:01 AMFeb 26, 2008 at 5:31 PM

A Milton family’s dedication to green living goes deeper than the cars they drive. It’s become part of everyday life – from solar panels on the roof to plans for a wind turbine. David DeSantis has even brought those values to his real estate development company, First Taunton Group. The company’s truck, van and Bobcat run on bio-diesel fuels. The heat and hot water of a 12-unit apartment building he owns in Taunton are likewise powered. But life wasn’t always this green.

Suzette Martinez Standring

At age 13, Mark Doyle can expertly explain a “grease car” – a vehicle that uses discarded, filtered vegetable oil as fuel instead of gasoline.

In the family garage, the boy opened the trunk of a red 2002 Volkswagen Jetta and pointed to a special “grease tank” in the space typically reserved for a spare tire. It was filled with used cooking oil collected from restaurants.

“It’s a spare tank that connects with the engine,” the teen said. “You can’t start a car with pure vegetable oil.”

Anyone can buy a “grease kit tank” to use with a diesel-run cars, and his stepdad, David DeSantis, commutes regularly in one. His mom, Kathy Doyle DeSantis, drives a diesel-fueled Mercedes. And those cars are fine – for now. The couple plans to buy electric cars when the Chevrolet Volt arrives on the market in 2009 or in 2010.

But this Milton family’s dedication to green living goes deeper than the cars they drive. It’s become part of everyday life – from solar panels on the roof to plans for a wind turbine. David DeSantis has even brought those values to his real estate development company, First Taunton Group. The company’s truck, van and Bobcat run on bio-diesel fuels. The heat and hot water of a 12-unit apartment building he owns in Taunton are likewise powered. But life wasn’t always this green.

The family’s 3,500-square-foot home was built on part of the former Howard Johnson estate, their colonial set amid manicured grounds. Inside, the house is spacious with high ceilings and paned windows. Energy efficiency was not part of the original design.

Not long after building their home, the DeSantises watched “An Inconvenient Truth,” the Oscar-winning documentary on global warming. Concerned for their son’s future, they soon went all-out to retrofit their home for energy savings, and sustainability.

“It’s surprising how easy it is with just a little bit of planning to build an eco-friendly house. I wish we knew then what we know now,” DeSantis said.

The roof is lined with 72 panels of a Photo Voltaic Solar system. It’s an 8.3-kilowatt system, and from April through September, it collects 25 kilowatts a day.

“We produce more than we use,” DeSantis said.

During those months, the family pays nothing for energy. Instead they receive credits for excess solar power sent to the grid for public use. During winter when solar collection is less effective, the credits pay for their home’s electricity. The solar panel system cost $48,000, and at today’s energy costs the system should pay for itself in 19 years. If energy costs continue to rise, the family believes it could pay for itself far sooner.

More power

Last month, the family opened the house to the public to kick off the Community Solar Challenge sponsored by Mass Energy and Sustainable Milton.

By the end of April, if 300 Milton families support the New England Wind Fund by donating either $5 a month for a year, or with a one-time $100 donation, then the Mass Technology Collaborative will give Milton a solar panel system to install on any municipal building.

Visitors toured the DeSantis home and strolled the grounds to learn about energy-saving devices and designs, such as compact fluorescent lighting; energy-efficient windows with low e-glass; heavy wall and attic insulation; and motion sensors on exterior lighting.

Outside, curious visitors ringed around the “grease car” and looked toward the future site of the family wind turbine.

The turbine will be used to recharge battery packs for electric cars and to provide additional home power.

“I’m pretty excited about the wind turbine,” Mark said.

In Milton, a wind turbine must be 35 feet or less in height and placed less than 35 feet from property lot lines. DeSantis has applied for a building permit to place his 34-foot-11-inch turbine in his yard about 6 feet from their home.

“It will be a very quiet unit,” DeSantis said of the $15,000 turbine. He expects it will pay for itself in six to seven years.

The delayed gratification, though, is just fine for DeSantis. He wants folks to look beyond today’s convenience.

“Everything in America is about what makes sense now versus what makes sense years from now,” said DeSantis.

How the DeSantis family collects biodiesel

Biodiesel is created from a mixture of vegetable oil, methanol and lye. A company employee collects tanks of discarded oil from six restaurants, and processing takes place at a central location owned by David DeSantis’ business. The byproducts of biodiesel processing are glycerin, which is sold as a soap component, and water.